The Nigerian President Buhari has advised Members of the Governing Boards of Agencies and Parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy from generating public rancour and acrimony over awards of contracts.
He vowed that his government would not tolerate such development.
Buhari gave the members the advise after inaugurating them as members of board’s of: the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA), the National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC), and the Nigerian Postal Service, (NIPOST), in Abuja.
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami who inaugurated the 44 Members Boards on behalf of the President.
The Council which was inaugurated on Friday 10th June 2022 by @MBuhari, is the highest body to provide strategic directions for e-Governance and Digital Economy in the country. pic.twitter.com/m0BVyzLuaj
— NITDA Nigeria (@NITDANigeria) August 23, 2022
He advised the board members to stay clear of awards of contracts, as it has nothing to do with their mandate, urging them to carry out their responsibilities based on the Act establishing their Agency, the Commission.
Pantami expressed displeasure over rancour created in some Agencies as boards members fight with Heads of the agencies over awards of contracts, he said that 90 percent of members of the boards of the three agencies were retained by the administration for doing their jobs with integrity.
According to Prof. Pantami “the Ministry had carried out its mandate in accordance with the directive of President Buhari, and urged the Boards Members to be prepared to do the same to enable the administration fulfilled its promises to the citizens.”
He insisted there would be no excuse for failure on the part of the Boards Members, explaining that the achievements of the Ministry has become unprecedented in the past three years as it had increased revenue generation to government coffers by over 600 percent.
“We have successfully implemented the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, the National Broadband Plan, the National Policy on National Identity Numbers and Registration, and the National Policy for SIM/NIN on Internally Displaced Persons.
“The Ministry has contributed 17.9 percent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), enrolled 87 million Nigerians on the National Identity Numbers database from 42 million two years ago,” he said.
NITDA has 19 board members, NIMC 17, NIPOST 8.
Members of NITDA are, chairman Dr Abubakar Saidu, Hon Kunle Salako, Dr Habibu Imam, Abubakar Bello and Amarachi Nwanafo and Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, DG, NITDA as secretary among others. NIMC has Professor Jalo El Nafaty as Chairman, while NIPOST has Maimuna Yahaya Abubakar as Chairman.
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